Fichtelberg

The Fichtelberg reaches 1,215 metres, the highest point in Saxony, above Oberwiesenthal, which at about nine hundred metres is the highest town in Germany. The cable car opened in 1924 and was the first aerial cableway for passengers built in Germany, rebuilt since but running the same line. Snow lies longer here than almost anywhere else in the country and the mountain has been a winter sports centre since the nineteenth century, producing a long list of Olympic athletes from the small town below. The Fichtelberg house on the summit was rebuilt in 1967 after fire. The Czech border runs just south along the ridge.

History

The first certain Fichtelberg house was built on the summit in 1888/89 by Oskar Puschmann, opened on 21 July 1889 and extended in 1899 and again in 1910 as the highest mountain in Saxony grew popular. The cable car of 1924 drew still more visitors, and on the evening of 25 February 1963 a fire broke out in the Fichtelberg House (Wikipedia, Fichtelberg).

Highlights

• The 1924 cable car - Germany's first passenger aerial cableway line.
• The 1,215-metre summit - the highest point in Saxony, with a weather station.
• Oberwiesenthal - Germany's highest town, at about nine hundred metres.
• The winter sports - long snow cover and a training centre for athletes.

When to go

December to March for snow and June to September for walking; the shoulder seasons are quiet with lifts often closed. Cloud sits on the summit frequently.

Practical notes

The summit is developed with buildings, masts and lifts. Cloud hides the view often. Lifts close between seasons and in high wind.

Nearby

The Czech Klínovec faces it across the border; Annaberg lies north.

Key facts